The lad descended the steps again and walked round the house, seeking some other means of entrance.  In the narrow areaway he saw a small window, apparently opening into the cellar.  He tried it.  It was unlocked and gave easily before the pressure of his hand.

Hal lay flat upon the ground and pushed his feet through the opening.  Then, slowly, he let his body through until he hung by his hands.  He did not know how far his feet might be from the floor, but it was no time to hesitate.  He released his hold and dropped.

There came a crash so loud it might have raised the dead.

CHAPTER XXV.

CHESTER AND JEAN.

Chester was confident that Hal could take care of his end of the affair, and he therefore allowed Jean to lead him along without protest.  Jean became talkative as they walked along the dark streets.

“It should be easy,” he said with enthusiasm.  “All we have to do is to get close to the President in the crowd.  Can you shoot?”

“A little,” replied Chester briefly.

“I’m not a bad shot, either,” said Jean.  “So, if you should miss with your first shot, I’ll turn loose myself.  That will insure success.”

“I have been thinking,” said Chester, “how it would feel to be shot, and of what is likely to happen to us after we fire.  What will the crowd do to us?”

“Oh, we’ll get away, all right,” said Jean.

“We’ll never get away,” said Chester solemnly.  “We shall be torn to pieces before we can move a foot.”

“I hadn’t stopped to think of that,” said Jean slowly.

“No, I suppose not,” replied Chester.  “Nevertheless, that is what is bound to happen.  And they won’t kill us on the spot, either.  They’ll put us to death slowly, by torture.”

The lad looked sharply at his companion.  Plainly this was an aspect of the case which had not occurred to Jean.  He shuddered.

“Do you realize what we are about to do?” Chester went on.  “We are going to shoot down, in cold blood, the President of France; the President of our own country.  The crowd will go wild.  We shall be torn limb from limb.”

“Stop it!  Stop it!” cried Jean.  “Would you have me lose my nerve?”

“And besides,” continued Chester, “what has the President done to us that we should seek his life?”

“But,” said Jean, “we shall have gold.”

“And what good will gold do us after we are dead?”

“True,” said Jean.  “It won’t do us much good, will it?”

“It won’t do us any good,” said Chester.

“But,” said Jean, “Duval must have thought of all that.  He—­”

“Duval knows as well as you or I what will happen to us should we assassinate the President,” said Chester.  “He will have that much more gold for himself.”

“Still, we may manage to escape,” said Jean hopefully.

“And if we do,” said Chester sternly, “what then?  Do you suppose Duval will keep faith with us?  There will be such a hue and cry as Paris never heard before.  Duval will turn us over to the authorities to save his own skin.”